Sex Workers Claim A&E Screwed Them Hard in ‘8 Minutes’ Lawsuit

A group of women who appeared on the A&E reality series “8 Minutes,” which documented “cop-turned-pastor” Kevin Brown surprising sex workers and attempting to rescue them from the lifestyle, have filed a lawsuit against A+E Television Networks, alleging that they got stiffed after agreeing to appear on the series.

In the lawsuit, filed in district court in Texas, the women claim that they were enticed to participate on the series with promises of a “new life” and help with health care, employment and rehabilitation, among other assistance, only to be given a financial pittance and left high and dry when it came to help getting out of the life.

The suit also claims that the reality show was a farce; while the series operated on the premise that Brown and his crew had only eight minutes to convince women to leave the sex-worker lifestyle, the lawsuit contends that the women who appeared on the show were contacted days or even weeks ahead of filming.

One of the three women, all of whom filed the lawsuit anonymously, claims that she never had sex for money, but did post an ad on an escort website when money got tight for her and her family. She claims that she received a mere $250 for an interview with Brown, and while she was told to reach out to a producer for any assistance she needed to start her new life, after “weeks of waiting” for that help, she “was left economically and emotionally devastated.”

A second woman claims she received $200 for appearing on the show, and “never received any of the assistance she was promised in exchange for her appearance on the show.”

The suit also names series producers Long Pond Media and Relativity Media.

A third plaintiff claims she was told that her face would be blurred but wasn’t, with predictably disastrous results.

“Family, friends and acquaintances from her small hometown in Kentucky contacted her about her appearance on the show,” the lawsuit reads. “To this day, Plaintiff Jane Doe III is approached by strangers in public places inquiring about her appearance on ‘8 Minutes.'”

To make matters worse, the lawsuit claims, the third plaintiff “had kept her line of work private from her daughter until it was disclosed via national television.”

“8 Minutes” premiered in April, with A&E announcing that it was removing the series from its schedule the following month due to controversy over its content.

A+E Networks had no comment for TheWrap on the lawsuit.

The three plaintiffs list numerous allegations, including breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, negligent representation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. While the suit seeks unspecified damages, it does state that the women are seeking “monetary relief over $1 million.”

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

Hollywood's Most Outrageous Lawsuits (Photos)

Between Lindsay Lohan firing back at Fox News, Mariah Carey allegedly short changing her domestic help, and Sly Stone winning millions after suing his ex-manager -- stars often turn to the courts to address their squabbles and strife.

Lindsay Lohan filed suit against Fox News and Sean Hannity on Feb. 2, 2015, after a news correspondent accused Lohan's mom of snorting cocaine with her troubled daughter. It didn't take long for Fox to fire back. “We will defend this case to the fullest,” the network told TheWrap the next day.

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A former nanny for Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon filed a lawsuit on Jan. 28, 2015, alleging she was fired after showing the couple's kids too much affection and did not receive overtime pay despite working 100 hours per week.

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Legendary funk artist Sly Stone won $5 million on Jan. 27, 2015, after suing his former manager and entertainment attorney for misappropriating royalties owed him for more than 20 years.

Former “Real Housewives of Orange County” executive producers Patrick Moses and Kevin Kaufman filed a suit against Bravo in Nov. 2014, claiming they were deceitfully ousted from the show and bilked out of millions of dollars after helping to create the show and the franchise.

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Jessie Nizewitz, a contestant on VH1’s “Dating Naked,” filed suit in New York in Aug. 2014, seeking $10 million in damages for emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment after the show allegedly failed to properly blur her genitals.

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Octavia Spencer was awarded $940,000 in Dec. 2014 after claiming a weight loss company, Sensa Products Inc., wrongfully fired her from an endorsement deal and still owed her money.

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Former Tinder executive Whitney Wolfe filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former company June 2014, alleging she was repeatedly called a "whore" by CMO Justin Mateen and was stripped of her co-founder title simply for being a woman.

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Former TMZ producer Jarrett Gaeta slapped his former employer with a lawsuit in June 2014, claiming he was wrongly terminated. Gaeta was let go after a subordinate accused him of "racist behavior," including defending blackface and sending pictures of watermelons to African-American employees.

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CNN America was sued in Aug. 2014 by a pair of plaintiffs who claim that correspondent Arwa Damon bit one of them and threatened both during a drunken altercation at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

"Boardwalk Empire" actress Paz de la Huerta sued Lionsgate in Aug. 2014 claiming she was run over by an ambulance while filming "Nurse 3D." Lionsgate filed a motion to dismiss, which De La Huerta opposed on Jan. 23, 2015. Lionsgate then opposed her opposition on Jan. 30, 2015, in a seemingly neverending loop of opposing motions.

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Rapper Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky, was sued in civil court in June 2014 for allegedly assaulting a woman while making his way through a crowd during the 2013 Made in America Festival.

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Nicki Minaj’s former hairstylist and wig designer filed a $30 million lawsuit against the rapper in 2014 for allegedly stealing his wig designs and costing him a potential reality show. A judge later dismissed the case for lack of sufficient evidence.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West filed suit against YouTube founder Chad Hurley on Oct. 31, 2013, claiming he posted a video of the couple’s surprise engagement to his website without permission. The process was delayed when Hurley’s reps filed an anti-SLAPP motion in an attempt to have the case dismissed.

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Jahmel Binion filed a lawsuit against Shaquille O’Neal in July 2014 when O’Neal posted a photo to his Instagram account mocking Binion, who suffers from a rare condition that causes facial abnormalities, sparse hair and missing teeth. Binion claimed defamation, emotional distress and invasion of privacy in the $25,000 lawsuit, and after pressure from the public O’Neal apologized.

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In 2014 singer Chris Brown was mentioned in a lawsuit filed by the cousin of artist Frank Ocean. The defendant claimed Brown and an associate allegedly kicked and punched him when he confronted them about parking in a spot designated for Ocean at a Los Angeles recording studio. Ocean, who was also injured, later said he wouldn't seek criminal or civil penalties.

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From embezzlement to slander, there’s no shortage of celebrity court action

Between Lindsay Lohan firing back at Fox News, Mariah Carey allegedly short changing her domestic help, and Sly Stone winning millions after suing his ex-manager -- stars often turn to the courts to address their squabbles and strife.